The World Organization for Animal Health reported that a new strain of bird flu called H5N9 was found on a California duck farm on Jan. 27, 2024. This was the first reported case of the rare strain in the U.S., but a more common strain, H5N1, was also discovered, according to a Jan. 27 Reuters article.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu, has spread greatly throughout the world in recent years and led to the killing of hundreds of millions of poultry in an attempt to contain the disease. Data published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 14, 2025, revealed that bird flu has been discovered across all 50 states and in 618 counties over the last three years. Experts are calling for better surveillance of farms to prevent outbreaks in the future and address this long-standing problem.
As the CDC was working to address the issue this January, the Trump administration limited their communication as well as other government agencies to “critical health, safety, environmental, financial or national security functions” through Feb. 1, according to AP News. A former Health and Human Services official explained it is not unusual for this pause in communications to occur as the agencies adjust to new leadership. However, they usually have a process for issuing reports settled by inauguration day so there is no gap in publication. The failure to finalize this process meant that the CDC’s weekly report, which has been published for more than 60 years, was not put out in Trump’s first week in office, ABC7 Chicago explains.
The concerningly high numbers of infected birds will have a great effect on the American poultry industry and therefore, prices in grocery stores. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that egg prices are expected to soar and remain record-high for most of the year, increasing about 20 percent in 2025 compared to about 2.2 percent price increases for food in general in 2024. A Nov. 14, 2024, article from AP News explained that an AP VoteCast survey of more than 120,000 voters found that about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food and groceries. However, with this new strain of bird flu being found in the U.S., their hopes for lower grocery prices under a new administration may be left unfulfilled.
Costs are not the only concern for Americans, as 60 cases of bird flu have actually been reported in humans. While it is uncommon, USA Today reports that people can contract the disease through the mouth, eyes or nose. Symptoms can range from a minor fever or sore throat to severe respiratory diseases that can be deadly. The tragic death of a Louisiana man on Jan. 6, 2025, due to bird flu has led backyard owners, hunters and bird enthusiasts to take extra precautions around birds as per recommendations from the CDC.
